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Government's HIV/AIDS plan shifts into top gear
25 February 2004. Pretoria News. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd.
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The government's much anticipated Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment, which provides for the rollout of antiretrovirals, was presented to Parliament's portfolio committee on health on Tuesday.
The plan - approved by cabinet last August - aims to provide at least one antiretroviral service point in every health district within a year.
The longer term aim was to give all those requiring treatment access to the programme in their local municipal area within five years.
The health department's acting director-general, Kamy Chetty said one of the most important aspects of the plan was to ensure that the uninfected remain HIV-negative.
"That is why prevention is stressed. Prevention remains the cornerstone of fighting HIV/AIDS. Individuals sometimes have the perception that the (antiretroviral) treatment is a cure or that their behaviour does not have to change... "
There are currently 5,3-million HIV-positive people in South Africa and it is vital that their progression to full-blown AIDS be as slow as possible, Chetty said.
The plan would see patients receive comprehensive care - including nutritional supplements - and not just antiretrovirals.
Dr Nono Simelela, chief director of the HIV/AIDS directorate, said the department would buy supplement meals for patients who were "food insecure."
"We will provide micro-nutrients for all patients who are HIV infected... we will (also) acknowledge the role of traditional medicines."
She said the department was working with the Medical Research Council to evaluate the safety and efficacy of traditional medicines.
"We will not discourage it, but we will try and follow up patients to see if there are any interactions between traditional medicines and antiretrovirals. Patients have a choice. People will not be forced to take anything. But at least we're providing the full comprehensive package."
The actual distribution of the antiretrovirals was a challenge, said Dr Humphrey Zokifa, the health department's cluster manager of pharmaceutical policy and planning.
"The drug can leave the public sector and find its way into the private sector or even leave the country and go into neighbouring countries. This is going to be a well sought after item."
He said the antiretrovirals - including d4T, 3TC, Nevirapine, AZT and Ritonavir - would be treated like schedule five drugs and monitored using an electronic tracker system to account for the stock. The department was drawing up specifications for a tracker system and would soon be advertising the tender.
The drugs would be housed in a government depot in each of the nine provinces.
Zokifa warned that manufacturers of antiretrovirals would have to ascertain how they would keep producing the drugs as the key ingredient was imported from India and China. "We can get into a situation where we can run out."
He said advertisements had been placed in a Sunday newspaper for manufacturers who were interested in eventually tendering for the right to produce the drugs to approach the department with proposals on how this problem could be solved. |
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